The Great Mom Detective
by LadyStina
Summary: Unbeknownst to Mrs. Higurashi the well has closed, trapping Kagome in the past. She has noticed some oddities for months now and decides to piece them together. Takes place 5 months after A Future Push of the Past. Inu/Kag
1. Chapter 1

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters listed below. They all are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions. I also do not own Scooby Doo and am not affiliated with Hanna Barbera in any way.

This starts about five months after my previous fan fiction, A Future Push of the Past, which can be found in my profile.

Important recap: Inuyasha and Kagome are newly mated with unknown help from their future selves. Their future selves have been leaving hints for Kagome's mother to ease her into the knowledge that they are still around.

The Great Mom Detective

Chapter 1

Kagome fidgeted with the necklace that served as her image charm as she stood at the base of the shrine steps with Inuyasha. He had a comforting arm across her shoulders. She leaned into him and continued to stare up the steps.

"It's been so long, Inuyasha… I know we've been sneaking around helping our younger-selves and getting pictures and stuff, but to actually see Mama, Souta, and Ji-chan again… I…I don't know if I'm ready…" she trailed off still looking up at the daunting prospect of returning home.

Inuyasha hugged her closer with his arm around her shoulders. "Kagome, you know we can wait if you want. The well just closed a couple days ago. Your family don't even know you're missing yet. You know I used to keep you away weeks at a time."

"Do you think we left enough clues for Mama to find? Did she find them all? Did she even put them all together? Oh, Kami… I…I don't want to scare her… Maybe we should call…"

Inuyasha smirked as he got an idea, "Oi, Bitch. I've got an idea for a great clue and it will have your mom calling us. Want me to set it up?"

Kagome looked up at his face and giggled at his classic smirk. "You think it'll work? And no just coming out and telling her. If we do that, we might as well do it now…"

He reached down and kissed her, his shoulder-length black hair brushing the sides of her face. He pulled away with another smirk, "Trust me, koi. If she don't call in a week from when I set it up, I'll let you make me do something embarrassing… But not in front of the bastard…"

Inuyasha noticed that she got an evil little grin on her face. '_At least she isn't worried about meeting her mother again anymore,' _he thought proudly_. _Then he heard her suggestion for him losing his bet.

Still giving him her mischievous look she asked, "Will you talk like Scooby-Doo for a whole day? And no image charms!"

"Keh!" He glared at her. At his glare, she burst into giggles. He grumped, "Just 'cause I know I'm right, I'll agree...but only in the house!"

Her look turned sultry. "I think I can come up with something to keep us in the house," she replied in a husky voice.

"Kami, what you do to me, Bitch."

"Your bitch," she replied as she leaned up to kiss him again. When she pulled away she took his hand and they started walking back to their car. "Ok, I guess I can let you get on with your little evil plan."

"Oi! You don't even know what it is, much less if it's evil or not."

"I know you, remember, Mate?" Their conversation continued in playful tones while they got into the car and drove away. All the while, Inuyasha was thinking of how to execute his idea with enough success to keep from losing the bet. Kagome had been trying to get him to imitate that fucking cartoon dog for about 50 years now. He'd be damned if he'd lose to _those_ terms!

**A Few Days Ago**

Akina Higurashi gave Kagome a hug before she allowed her daughter to travel down the well again. Kagome had collected her medical supplies, junk food, and school books and had stuffed them into the well-used yellow backpack she always traveled with. Akina would usually send Kagome off with a smile and a wave, but something was telling her to be a little clingy that particular morning.

"You have everything you need, dear? Did you two get enough breakfast?" she asked, hoping that Kagome and the sweet, stand-offish hanyou would choose to stay a few moments longer.

"Oh, Mama," Kagome laughed, "We have everything and the others are waiting on us. We think we're very close to Naraku and we don't want to lose our chance." Kagome had begun to fidget with the hem of her T-shirt. The last few times Kagome had been home this past month, she had switched from her school uniform to pants and loose shirts.

The young man with the _adorable_ dog ears approached then, probably with the intent to hurry them along. Before he could open his mouth though, Akina also gave him a quick hug.

"I know you take care of my daughter, but I want you to take care of yourself too. You've become like family to us and we don't want anything to happen to you." When she pulled away, she couldn't help but notice that his cheeks were bright red and that Kagome was beaming at him. Kagome had told her some stories of his past and Akina knew that kind words were still foreign to him.

"Well then, dears, off you go. Save the world and for the love of the Kamis, be careful!" She watched as Inuyasha picked up Kagome's backpack and hefted it over his shoulder. He muttered something to her daughter and she saw his hand move towards her covered stomach. Kagome intercepted his hand and held it in her own, then shot Akina a forced smile before they turned and headed towards the well house.

That was the last bit of proof that Akina needed. She had noticed that her daughter hadn't been alone on this side of the well for months now. It was obvious that they finally admitted their feelings to one another. When you add that to her daughter's change in appetite, morning routines, and bigger clothing along with the slightly awed look she caught on Inuyasha's face when he didn't think anyone was watching, it could only mean one thing. She was going to be a grandmother.

She _was_ going to talk to her daughter about getting on some form of birth control, but by the time she observed the two of them together and noticed some minor changes in Kagome, she suspected that it was too late. She was going to have to talk to her about prenatal care instead.

As her daughter and future son-in-law (even if he didn't realize that part yet) was about to jump in the well, she said in a volume she was sure Inuyasha would hear and Kagome wouldn't, "Inuyasha, you take care of my grandbaby also."

She saw his ears perk straight up and he jerked his head up to look right at her. He told Kagome something and she nodded then jumped in the well with a flash of blue light. He straightened his posture and brushed his robes down in a nervous manner then headed towards her. Akina wasn't actually planning on having this conversation now; she just wanted to let him know that she knew.

Inuyasha walked up to her and stopped in front of her looking down a little bit, "You know?"

Akina smiled, "Well, I do _now_, dear. I had my suspicions for awhile though. I am a little disappointed neither of you decided to tell me though."

Inuyasha's head had slowly risen while she was talking and he was looking at her in a slight state of shock, "You…you're not mad? That your daughter is with me? A…a filthy hanyou? That…that I pupped her?"

She blinked in surprise, "Whoever said you were filthy? Nonsense. I'm not upset that she's with you, Inuyasha. I think you two make a wonderful couple. I _am_ a little upset that she's in this condition while she's still so young and also unmarried. You _will_ correct that little oversight, won't you dear?" she gave him an evil little smile that suddenly reminded him of an older Kagome.

Akina sighed then, "I'm partly to blame too you know. I've known how she's felt about you for a long time now and could have insisted she start taking birth control. Teenagers will be teenagers, and Kagome is a passionate one. I just thought she would come to me when you two started to become closer."

Inuyasha was studying her, "And you're ok with her traveling to your past to battle Naraku while you know she's pupped?"

"She's a strong girl, Inuyasha, and I know that you and your friends look out for her. Besides, I don't think being a few months along will greatly hinder any of you. Once she's further along, that may change. Now, son, don't you think you need to get back to my daughter?"

Akina was suddenly enveloped in red fire-rat fur as Inuyasha gave her a rare hug. "Thank you," she heard muttered against her hair from the gruff young man embracing her.

Before she could react, he was gone and she just saw a flash of red and white as he leapt into the well followed by another flash of blue light.

Akina smiled softly as she thought about being a grandmother. She thought she was too young, but she did hope her grandchild would have its father's ears. She went to check the mail before starting on her chores for the day. Mixed among the normal bills and junk mail she saw an envelope that held a card addressed to her. There also wasn't a postmark, so someone had hand delivered it.

Her curiosity got the best of her, so when she brought the mail inside, she immediately sat down and opened the card. It was a Thank You card that was decorated with a couple stylized dogs. She hadn't given anyone a gift recently, so why would she be getting a Thank You card? She opened it up and read the handwritten message inside, 'Thank you and your daughter very much for the kind words when I needed them the most. You probably helped me more than you think you did. Thank you.' It was only signed with an 'I.'

'_Ok, that is some very suspicious timing. If I didn't know better, I would think that _Inuyasha_ put this in the mailbox…'_ She put the card aside so she could think about it later. And try to figure out who would send that card that had an 'I' for an initial…

When supper was over that night, she sent Souta and her father to bed. That card was just the latest in a series of semi-strange happenings. Just one or two oddities wouldn't raise any flags, but there were enough to start to be suspicious. Tonight she decided to try to figure out what was going on once and for all. She sat down at the kitchen table with a pad of paper and began jotting notes.

-tbc-


	2. Chapter 2

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters listed below. They all are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

Chapter 2

Tonight Akina Higurashi decided to try to figure out what was going on once and for all. She sat down at the kitchen table with a pad of paper and began jotting notes.

***FLASHBACK to 5 Months Ago***

It was mid-afternoon when Akina arrived back at their shrine after going on a shrine tour of Kyoto and Osaka with her father. He was staying in Osaka for another couple days to work on 'shrine business.' It was nice getting out of Tokyo, but not something that they could do very often. As they approached the front door of their house, Akina saw that the front door was boarded up. Fearing the worst, she started running towards the back door.

'_Did someone break in while we were gone? Who boarded up the door? Was Kagome home when it happened? Is she-'_ her thoughts broke off in mid-worry as she heard a familiar voice yelling from her kitchen.

"Oi, Wench! Hurry up! The humans are waiting on us!"

"I _am_ hurrying! And I'm human too, you know!" replied another familiar, but faint voice that was yelling in another part of the house.

"Feh! Could have fooled me the way you… Oi, your family is back!" Inuyasha finished just as Akina entered the house.

"Inuyasha, dear, are you alright? What happened here?" Akina started asking her daughter's dog-eared suitor right before he blushed fiercely that seemed to hide a mark on his cheeks. She filed that tidbit of information away because Kagome suddenly entered the room then and gave her a quick hug.

"Hi, Mama! I thought we were going to miss you entirely. We were just about to head out again," Kagome pulled away and started edging towards the back door.

"Oh, no you don't young lady," Akina replied firmly. "You're going to sit right here and tell me what happened to my front door." Her tone brightened then, "And then I imagine it will be close to supper, and I insist that you two stay for that. I can't in good conscience send my daughter and her…," she glanced over to the still-blushing young man, "…friend into battle without making sure they have at least one decent meal in them."

Kagome sighed and crept towards a chair to sit down. Just as she settled herself, Akina heard Inuyasha also sigh.

"I did it," he said softly. Akina looked over at him and saw that his head was down and his ears were very low on his head. His posture was slumped and he looked defeated. She blinked at him. Right now he looked like a beaten dog expecting yet another beating.

Kagome must have noticed the same thing because she suddenly blurted, "But it was my fault! I can explain!"

Akina smiled on the inside. It was so cute watching them stand up for one another. She could care less if one of them broke the door as long as everything was ok. As part of a shrine family, she wasn't worried about material things. They still had one working door after all, and eventually they could fix the other one.

"Kagome, don't…" Inuyasha started before he was interrupted.

"Mama, we had gotten into one of our arguments, a bad one. We were yelling at each other as we walked to the house. When I got inside, I slammed the door on him and then yelled, 'osuwari.'"

"GAH!" Inuyasha yelled as his subjugation beads lit up and slammed him to the floor. Akina had only heard that this would happen and was the first time she had seen it. Her hands flew up to her mouth as she gasped in alarm.

"Kagome, why?..." Inuyasha whined as he was stuck to the floor.

"Oh, Inuyasha! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Kagome jumped out of her chair and ran to his side.

"Kagome!" Akina exclaimed. "That is a terrible thing to do to the boy you… you're friends with! You need to take those things off of him!"

By this time the spell had released him and Inuyasha was standing up, "Keh. Don't worry about it," he muttered.

Kagome stood beside him slightly teary-eyed and grasped the rosary, "Mama's right. That's no way for me to treat my ma-ahhh….. friend. I should have removed them a long time ago."

Inuyasha grasped her hand, "Feh, leave them alone, Wench. They've come in handy a couple times."

"But…"

"We'll talk about it after we kill Naraku."

"If you're sure… sorry…" Kagome replied softly.

Akina clapped, startling the other two. "Well, now that that's straightened out, how does steak sound for dinner? And Kagome, you will stop using that rosary, right?"

"Yes, Mama…"

"Ok, dears, run along. I'll let you know when supper is ready." The two 'just friends' nodded then headed up to Kagome's room. Akina just smiled after them. One day soon they would get their act together and admit that they love one another.

'_How can two intelligent people like that not see that they are both head over heels for each other?' _ Just as she finished the thought, she remembered her own courtship with her late husband with a fond smile. They were just as stubborn and hot-headed as those two upstairs. Kagome had no idea how much history was repeating itself.

Akina reached into the 'Cash for Kagome' cookie jar to grab some extra yen to buy the steaks. Her hand encountered a lot more resistance than it should have. Puzzled, Akina removed her hand and looked inside. To her immense surprise, the jar was stuffed with yen. She never put that much in there, usually because she never had that much on hand. She pulled out enough to cover the steaks, then went upstairs.

As she neared Kagome's room, she saw that the door to her daughter's room was also broken. Akina sighed as she stood in Kagome's empty doorway.

"So, another argument? Or was it the same one?" she asked as she pointedly looked at the door. Inuyasha was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed and tucked in his sleeves looking a little uncomfortable and Kagome was leaning over and lightly touching his face. Inuyasha flushed and looked away while Kagome quickly straightened and brought an arm behind her back and laughed nervously.

"Umm, it was the same one, Mama… I'm surprised that more things weren't broken…" Kagome said nervously. Akina knew her daughter was hiding something. About the doors and it wasn't at all natural to stand with an arm behind your back. Akina tried the Mother's-Patented-I-Know-You're-Hiding-Something-Look for a good minute. She was impressed. Her daughter shifted her weight from foot to foot and looked away, but never cracked.

'_One of the signs of growing up is that the Mom-looks don't work anymore.'_ She gave a mental shrug and continued with what she originally came upstairs for.

"Kagome, did you get all the supplies you needed? I'm about to run to the store."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, "We still have plenty and didn't have to buy anything else. There was enough in the supplies you keep for me in the pantry."

"Ok dear, I'll be back in a little while," Akina replied as she turned to leave. Apparently Kagome never checked the cookie jar to notice the excess yen. Where did it all come from then?...

As she left she heard agitated mumbling and her daughter snap, "Keep still!"

"It smells!" was snapped back.

"Tough! And stop squirming!" Ahh…young love….

Dinner was a success the previous night. Inuyasha and even Kagome had a second steak. Akina had finally managed to convince the two 'just friends' to stay the night and leave in the morning. She was moving through her room getting ready before going downstairs to cook breakfast for the pair when she heard a commotion at the end of the hall. She poked her head out of her bedroom just as a door slammed. She saw Inuyasha standing outside of the bathroom door.

"Kagome, you ok?" she heard him ask softly. She couldn't hear the response, but he continued to stand there looking worried. Akina frowned and headed out into the hallway.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" she asked as she approached him.

He opened his mouth to answer, then the door slid open and Kagome stepped out and said, "I'm fine! My stomach was just a little upset, but nothing happened. I think I just ate too much last night."

"Are you sure, dear? You could stay if you're getting sick."

"Nope! I'm fine! Come on, Inuyasha, let's get ready to go back."

It seemed that there was a whirlwind of activity that morning and the two 'just friends' were off through the well within an hour. Akina started cleaning the dishes from breakfast when the phone rang. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was past time when Kagome should have been at school.

Suspecting who was on the other end, she answered the phone, "Moshi, moshi. Higurashi Shrine."

"Mrs. Higurashi?"

"Yes, this is her."

"I'm calling to let you know that your daughter, Kagome, is not in school today."

"Oh yes, I was going to call, but the time got away from me. It looks like Kagome caught a stomach bug and I kept her home. The poor dear has a terrible immune system, you know. We just never know when she's going to be down and out."

"Yes, I will say her fainting spell a few days ago gave us all a scare."

"Fainting spell?" Akina asked, shocked. Kagome hadn't told her about that, and since Kagome was in reality a healthy girl, that was really surprising.

"Umm…yes. It looks like your brother-in-law picked her up after we spoke to your sister on the phone. A Sango and Miroku Konnaninu," the voice on the phone continued. As an only child, this was another surprise to Akina.

"Oh…uh…yes," Akina ad-libbed. She never was good going off-script when she was lying. That was also why her father usually answered these calls. "They…um…must not have wanted to worry me. Oh hold on," she covered the receiver with one hand and said, "yes dear?" then waited a moment. She got back on the phone, "I need to go now, my daughter needs some medicine. Thanks for calling." She hung up without giving them time to say anything else.

'_Sango and Miroku…those are the names of Kagome's friends… But they can't be alive still, they're humans, right? And Konnaninu? Difficult dog? What a strange name…'_

******END FLASHBACK******

Akina jotted down on her notepad:

1) Spoke kind words to Inuyasha – same day received a thank you card from "I" for kind words.

2) Kagome and Inuyasha broke doors in the house – enough yen stuffed in "secret" cookie jar for repairs

3) Kagome gets sick in school – picked up by "sister" Sango & Miroku (uncommon names of Kagome's friends in the past) Konnaninu (Difficult Dog). Both names added by someone else to Kagome's pick-up list.

She examined what she wrote down. Number one could just be a coincidence. Could have been for another "Mrs. Higurashi," and the sender got the address wrong. Or it was from someone she spoke to in passing at the shrine. Akina was a kind woman, so she gave out kind words all the time. Maybe someone was just thanking a stranger.

As for the yen in the cookie jar, she had never asked her father about it, so that was still a possibility. Or Souta could have taken up selling his school supplies in an effort to help out his sister and his hero. He did go through an awful lot of pencils… She would need more facts to officially count this one.

The last point was the most interesting. It was interesting enough that she remembered the names five months later, anyway. Out of curiosity, she grabbed the Tokyo phonebook and attempted to find the surname 'Konnaninu.' And just as she expected, it wasn't there. It was possible that if the name was real that they had an unlisted number, but the name sounded odd. Someone in the past would have had to have _chosen_ to call their clan 'difficult dog,' and she couldn't imagine that.

And then Sango and Miroku, names of Kagome's friends in the past… Kagome's _human_ friends… But her other friends _aren't_ human. Akina's future son-in-law is part-youkai and youkai are long-lived. How long is long, though? Could Inuyasha still be alive? After 500 years? But he would be too proud to come up with 'Difficult Dog.' He would have come up with 'fierce,' or 'dangerous,' or something else slightly threatening… 'Difficult' was a teasing name. One that he wouldn't normally put up with…

Akina shook her head. There was not near enough evidence to support the slightly wild theory she just came up with. She bent down to her pad of paper and began to recall the next odd incident.

-tbc-


	3. Chapter 3

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters listed below. They all are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

Chapter 3

Akina shook her head. There was not near enough evidence to support the slightly wild theory she just came up with. She bent down to her pad of paper and began to recall the next odd incident.

****FLASHBACK to 4 Months Ago****

"Mom! I'm home!" Akina heard her youngest child exclaim just as the newly-replaced front door slammed shut. It looks like Souta was sure going to make sure that the door will be well worn before he even enters middle school.

"Ok dear," Akina called back. "Remember your homework." If she didn't remind her son to do his school work as soon as he got home, it was usually forgotten about until breakfast the next morning.

Souta entered the living room where she was currently taking a break from her housework by watching TV until it was time to start on supper.

"Moooommmm… I always remember my homework," Souta replied as he sat next to her. She gave him a disbelieving look. He finally flushed and looked away and muttered, "I remember before school the day it's due anyway…"

Akina laughed and gave him a quick little squeeze. "It's usually better to remember at least the day before. How was school today?"

Souta took a deep breath, and Akina braced herself for what was to come. So much for a, 'Fine Mom...'

"Oh, it was so cool! Ichiro and Toru almost got into a fight at lunch. They would have started hitting each other too if my substitute teacher hadn't come by and stopped them. The teacher moved _real_ fast and got in the middle of the two and then grabbed both of their ears and dragged them all the way to the principal's office! The teacher seems ok. He's going to be there the rest of the week and he already gave us a project and I'm going to need your help, Mama."

Fortunately, Akina could understand 'excited-or-emotional-Higurashi-child-speak' so she didn't have any problems following her son's excited rambling. "Oh? What do you need help with, sweetie?"

"He wants us to ask one of our parents for a copy of their yearbook pictures and stuff. I'm supposed to interview you with some questions he handed out and write it all up. He said the more pictures we use from the yearbooks, the better the grade will be."

"Oh, ok dear. When is your report due?

"On Friday."

"Oh my. Today is already Tuesday. I guess let me go find one of my high school yearbooks before I have to start supper." Akina stood up and went upstairs. It had been years since she looked at her yearbooks and she wasn't sure where they had ended up. The last time she remembered seeing them was before Kagome was born.

She decided to try the attic first. Hopefully her father hadn't stuffed too many 'antique' items up there since she last climbed the stairs. Once she arrived in the dusty, dusty attic and when she was done with a sneezing fit, she carefully maneuvered herself through the random, forgotten junk that every household accumulates. And since her family has lived in this house for generations, there were lots of 'mementos.'

After about a half hour, she finally located a couple boxes that looked like they belonged to her. She opened one to find old dresses that were worn to one dance or another and a few scattered photographs of who must have been friends of hers at the time. Looking at the photos now though, she did not recognize or remember the people in them. It had been at least twenty years since those photos were taken after all, and she had lost contact with most of the people she went to school with.

She sighed and packed them back in the box with the dresses and opened the other. Sitting on top of old school papers was her old yearbooks. She smiled as she grabbed them up. It would be nice to browse through them again. Once she looked them over, she thought that she just might torture her son by sitting him down and telling him some 'in-my-day' stories. That _was_ a perk of motherhood after all.

Her smile slowly turned into a mischievous grin as she brought her treasures down from the attic and to the kitchen. She set them aside to look at later because it was time to start cooking. No rest for the weary, after all…

The next morning, Akina was finally able to sit down with her yearbooks. She had just sent Souta off to school and her father out to tend the shrine. Kagome was still on the other side of the well, so Akina had the house to herself. She had fixed herself a cup of tea and opened one of the yearbooks to travel down memory lane.

She flipped through the first several pages rather quickly. They were filled with faculty and staff and that wasn't what she was looking through the book for. She quickly found the first section with pictures of the students and then took her time. She was fondly remembering classmates and some of the goings-on at the school.

She took a sip of her tea and turned the page. When she saw the picture on the next page, her eyes widened and she dropped the cup from her nerveless fingers causing it to shatter on the floor. There, in front of her, was a black and white picture of Kagome and Inuyasha eating lunch under a tree. She shook her head and looked at the picture a little closer. The guy in the picture looked like Inuyasha except he had dark hair that was tied back and human ears. But the girl looked exactly like her daughter only wearing glasses and with her hair styled a little differently… She read the caption under the picture, 'Seniors Yoshiaki Taisho and Kagome Inukai are enjoying being outdoors during their lunch break.'

Akina was actually shaking a little bit as she pushed away from the table. _'I…I remember them… We were in the same class, but never hung out together. I always thought she had a pretty name and it influenced my choices when I was pregnant with Kagome… but that's _not_ them...it can't be! That was twenty years ago! Kagome told me she looks just like Inuyasha's old girlfriend, maybe it's just that reincarnation stuff again. Or they say everyone has a twin somewhere… Or…maybe it's just the camera angle and the lighting…'_

To prove to herself that her eyes were trying to trick her, she looked up their names in the index so she could see all the pictures of those two classmates in the book. Yoshiaki wasn't in very many pictures, just that one she found, his individual picture (the only person on the page that was scowling), and a group picture of the kendo team. Kagome Inukai only had a couple more photos than that. She was in the one Akina found, her individual photo, the debate team, and the yearbook staff. In all the photos they were in, they continued to look like her daughter and her daughter's unofficial boyfriend. She flipped back to the first photo she found and just stared at it while thinking.

'_It has to just be a coincidence. They're just look-alikes, that's all.'_ Nodding firmly to herself she stood up once again, this time to clean up the mess from the dropped teacup.

She pushed all thoughts of former classmates out of her mind and carefully swept up the pieces of glass. Just as she was throwing it away, she heard a familiar voice in the shrine courtyard.

"No, Inuyasha! Get away, I don't want to hear it! You said you could tell! You did this on purpose, didn't you! Did you even think about Naraku and the jewel shards?! Ooohhhh!"

'_Ahh, sounds like the 'just friends' are back,'_ Akina thought as she debated going out there to cool things off or let them argue things out. Then again, the way their arguments usually turn out, she thought she'd better head on outside.

"Oi, Bitch-"

"OSUWARI! Don't you _dare_ call me that right now!"

Akina was already running outside and found her very angry daughter stomping towards the house and Inuyasha was lying on his face in a small crater in the middle of the yard.

"Kagome? Inuyasha? What's wrong?" Akina interrupted.

Kagome jumped when she heard Akina's voice, then turned to face her. Kagome took a calming breath and told her, "Nothing. I…I just need to be alone right now. And I _mean it_, Inuyasha!" With that, she turned and ran into the house. Akina could hear her start to cry before she even passed through the door.

Akina sighed and went to help the poor boy up. She took his hand and helped him up. She noticed that his eyes widened in surprise and then he looked down at where she still had his hand grasped. '_Just how deep are this boy's emotional scars that he's surprised by a helping hand?'_ she wondered. Once he was back on his feet, she started brushing down his outfit to shake off the loose dirt. She looked up at his face and saw a couple smudges on his cheeks. Without thinking, she licked her thumb and brought the moistened thumb to his face to clear the smudges.

He quickly, but gently, grabbed her wrist before she touched his face and blushed lightly. "W…what are you doing?"

Akina realized she had slipped into 'Mom-mode,' and was about to use the super-cleaning-powers of Mommy-spit on her daughter's boyfriend. She mentally shrugged and went with it. If anyone needed a little extra mothering, it was this boy in front of her.

"Oh, sorry dear. You just have a bit of smut on your cheeks I was going to get for you. Why don't you come inside and I'll fix you some Ramen, then you can tell me what's going on, ok?"

He raised his hand to his cheek while she was talking, then nodded when she finished. She turned and led him back into the kitchen and she set some water on to boil. Inuyasha quietly sat at the table behind her.

When she turned around to give him a moistened rag, she saw that he was looking at the open yearbook she had left on the table. She saw him look up at her then back down to the book.

"What's this?" he asked and pointed to the picture.

"Oh, that's a memory book from when I was in school and not much older than Kagome. Souta has a project and I dug it out for him. Would you like to see a picture of me from back then?" she asked as she handed him the damp rag and took the book away from him. She knew what he was really asking, and she didn't know the answers so she would play the part of the air-head mom she knew she had down. She flipped to her individual picture and showed it to him.

"See, that was me. Looks like Kagome took much more after me than she did her father, huh? She almost looks just like me." Akina was surprised by that as well. She knew Kagome took after her, but not having seen these old pictures in forever she never realized how much. She heard the water boil and left to fix Inuyasha his Ramen.

Akina turned around to give the boy his bowl and a cup of tea. He wasn't looking at the book anymore and his ears were straight up and alert. He flinched at something right before she handed him his meal. She guessed he heard something from Kagome's room. He smiled sheepishly as he took the bowl from her with softly mumbled thanks.

She smiled back and sat down across from him. For some reason, she enjoyed watching him eat. He always ate like he was half-starved and just knowing that she was feeding the poor boy made her feel good. It wasn't good to tell him, but she currently had enough water on boil for at least four or five more servings of his favorite comfort food.

"Would you like to tell me what's going on, Inuyasha?" she asked gently. Rule Number 15 for dealing with daughter's boyfriends: Keep them preoccupied when you want information, food is a good distraction, and attempt to minimize escape routes.

At her question, he visibly paled and gasped. Unfortunately, his mouth was full of noodles that took the opportunity to travel the wrong way down his throat. The gasp turned into a coughing fit until all the rogue noodles were dislodged. Once the excitement calmed down, he picked up the damp rag she handed him earlier and wiped his mouth. Akina couldn't help it and motioned for his cheeks also. He frowned in confusion and wiped the rag along his cheeks also. When she saw that the smudges were still there, it was her turn to frown.

"Oh, those?" he asked and blushed slightly. "They won't come off. It's….um…they're demon markings," he said softly in an embarrassed tone of voice.

"Really?" she asked, genuinely interested. "You didn't use to have those did you? I would have thought I'd notice…"

"No, no… they're new…kinda…"

"'Kinda'? What do you mean, 'kinda'?"

"Umm…K…Kagome hasn't told you about that before? About my sword?" he asked hopefully. She shook her head. He sighed and continued in a defeated voice, "My sword seals my demon blood. Since I'm just a half-breed my half-human body can't handle my demonic blood if it fully rises. If I lose my sword, it's possible that the demonic blood can take over and I go mad. That used to be the only times these stripes appeared." He continued in a more firm tone of voice then, "That's why I don't want Kagome to remove the rosary. If I go mad, she can subdue me and get my sword to me to seal my blood again." He looked her straight in the eye then, "I will never harm your daughter. I have strengthened my sword, so it's less likely to break and so I'm less likely to lose it in a battle. The beads are ultimately for her protection, and she knows if they don't work for some reason that she has my permission to purify me until I'm under control again. I also have reason to believe that I recognize her when I'm in my youkai state and would not harm her even then."

Akina blinked. Kagome had never told her about him going mad on them, and she could understand why. Akina had also never heard the young man talk so much since he first burst into their dining room to take Kagome back to the past with him. He looked really determined that she know how dangerous he _could_ be to her daughter. Akina knew and trusted her daughter, and she had always felt she could trust Inuyasha or she never would have let him take Kagome with him that first night. She reached out and placed her hand over one of his clenched fists.

"It's ok, dear. I know you would never hurt Kagome and it sounds like you have backup plans in place. Thank you for taking such good care of her."

"Feh," he muttered and looked away while blushing again. Akina was sure she could make a game of that someday. It was so cute! She stood and fixed him another bowl of Ramen as a reward for talking to her. She still didn't know what their argument was about, but she did learn something.

She handed him the fresh bowl and allowed him to start in on it before asking another question, "So you said that the marks used to only appear when you lost control of your blood. Why do you have them now?" she continued curiously.

He blushed again! "Feh, beats me. They just stayed after the last time I transformed."

"Oh? Well, if you want some help figuring it out you can always talk it out with me dear."

"Feh." Akina smiled and stood up. She knew he wouldn't voluntarily open up with her, but she wanted to make the offer. She knew he was also probably talked out. She told him about the hot water and to feel free to make more Ramen if he wanted.

Akina headed up the stairs. Kagome had probably cooled down enough to talk with her if not with Inuyasha. As Akina neared the new door to Kagome's room, she heard her daughter sobbing on the other side of it. _'Odd. Usually when she's _this_ upset with Inuyasha she leaves him on the other side of the well…'_ She knocked on the door.

"Inuyasha, I said go away! I don't want to see you right now!" came choked out words from the other side of the door.

"Kagome? It's me. May I come in?" Akina her rustling beyond the entryway and then the door unlatched and was thrown open.

"Oh, Mama!" Akina heard exclaimed right before she had an arm-full of crying teenage girl. Akina sighed and began make soft, soothing, there-there noises and led her emotional daughter back to the bed. Akina just held her and let her cry. When the water-works lessened, Kagome would tell her what was wrong.

Eventually the full-blown sobs lessened to whimpers and sniffles and Akina gently pulled away, "What's the matter, baby?" she asked.

Kagome kept her head bowed with her hair covering her face. "Just…just an argument, Mama…" she muttered.

"Uh-huh. And I'm the Empress. Pull the other one, it's got bells on," Akina replied drily. You would think her children would know not to just flat-out lie to her.

Kagome snorted a suppressed chuckle, then continued softly with, "He…he went to see Kikyo when he promised he wouldn't… Ex…excuse me!" she suddenly exclaimed as she jumped up and ran down the hall to the bathroom. Akina followed and heard her daughter retching as she got closer. Akina waited and soon heard the toilet flush and the water run in the sink for a while. Soon after, Kagome opened the door and saw her standing there.

"Oh…uh… I think the meat in the stew last night was a little off," she said with a nervous chuckle. "I'm ok, Mama. I think I'll just go take a nap." Akina nodded and let her daughter pass.

"Ok dear. Let me know if you need anything," she replied. When Kagome shut the door to her room, Akina sighed. At least Souta wasn't constantly trying to hide things from her yet…

She went back downstairs, but saw that Inuyasha was missing. Knowing him, he was either perched in the tree or sitting outside Kagome's window. She just shrugged and started on her housework for the day.

That afternoon, Akina was sitting in the living room with her yearbooks on the coffee table. Kagome and Inuyasha had come down the stairs about ten minutes earlier. While Kagome still didn't look like the cheerful girl she usually was, she was getting there Inuyasha's help. At some point he was obviously able to talk with her and work some of the issues out. Akina was watching TV and waiting on Souta so they could begin his project. Inuyasha and Kagome were also on the couch with her while she waited.

Akina heard Kagome gasp. Since the commercial that was on wasn't really surprising, Akina looked over at her daughter. Kagome had picked up one of her yearbooks while Akina was distracted and had found the same picture she found earlier.

"Yes, dear? What is it?"

Kagome gave the open book to her and Akina noticed she was watching her face as she did so, "These people..." was all she said.

Akina took the book and looked at the picture. "Hmm…yes I think I remember those two. We were in the same class, but we weren't exactly friends. We just hung out in different crowds." Akina handed the book back.

As Kagome was opening her mouth to say something, the front door slammed open and a voice rang out, "Mom, I'm home! And Mr. Shippo said that if we turn in the project tomorrow that he'll give out extra credit!"

Kagome and Inuyasha quickly looked at each other when Souta mentioned his teacher's name then looked back at him. Finally Souta noticed that Akina wasn't alone, "Kagome! Inuyasha! Wow! I didn't know you were here!"

"Woah, woah, woah," Kagome told him with her hands raised in a stopping motion. "Back up. What did you say your teacher's name was?"

"Mr. Shippo. He's a substitute while Mrs. Sato is out sick."

"Do you think…" Kagome started while looking at Inuyasha.

"Feh, could be," Inuyasha shrugged.

"Shippo? Isn't that the name of the kitsune child you two adopted?" Akina asked while thinking out loud.

"Feh, you mean the runt we can't get rid of," Inuyasha scoffed.

Kagome hit him on the shoulder and replied, "Yes, Mama. That's his name. But I'm sure this is just a coincidence."

"You mean my teacher is a demon! Wow! That is so _awesome_!" Souta exclaimed.

"No, Souta dear," Akina replied, mostly to calm her son down, "We were just surprised by the similar name is all." And if it really _was_ the same kitsune, then she didn't want her excitable son blowing the poor dear's cover.

*****END FLASHBACK*****

Akina wrote down:

4) Assignment given by Mr. 'Shippo' (name of child kitsune in the past) to Souta – find people that look like Kagome and Inuyasha that was in my same class twenty years ago. (Kagome Inukai and Yoshiaki Taisho)

Ok, so the name 'Shippo,' could be a coincidence or even a name passed down through the family and the teacher is only descended from Shippo-from-the-past. What about those teenagers in the photo, Kagome Inukai and Yoshiaki Taisho? Another coincidence? They looked just like her daughter and future son-in-law… Inukai even means "Dog Keeper"…that has her daughter's sense of humor all over it even if it is an actual surname. 'Yoshi' is a little close to 'Yasha.' Close enough to link it, but far enough to hide.

But Yoshiaki had human ears and dark hair. Surely it's just a look-alike…That had a friend that was Kagome's look-alike…

She picked up the phonebook again and this time searched for 'Taisho.' This time she found multiple entries. As her eyes scanned the list, one entry caught her eye. It read, 'Taisho, I. & K.' '_No, it can't be. This is all just me looking for a connection. I got a crazy idea in my head and I'm trying to twist things to fit…'_

She thought about that for a minute, '_But I'm not, am I? I keep trying to convince myself that I'm _wrong_, not that I'm right…I could call tomorrow… and claim a wrong number…'_

She continued to think and jotted down:

5) Taisho, I. & K. listed in phonebook (address, phone number)

'_I guess the main question is, how many coincidences becomes one too many? And am I drawing false positives from connections that aren't even there?_' she reached for her tea just as she remembered that she didn't think to brew any. She sighed as she got up to grab something to drink.

~tbc~


	4. Chapter 4

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters listed below. They all are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions. I also am not affiliated with neither Lena Park nor Kana Nishino or their respective record labels.

Chapter 4

'_I guess the main question is, how many coincidences becomes one too many? And am I drawing false positives from connections that aren't even there?_' she reached for her tea just as she remembered that she didn't think to brew any. She sighed as she got up to grab something to drink.

Akina decided to grab one of Souta's juice boxes instead of going through the hassle of boiling water for tea. As she drank through the tiny straw, she contemplated her growing list. _'I still need to ask Dad and Souta about the cookie jar money. And all those names from the past keep popping up. Along with the dog-related family names…'_

She sighed as she sat back down at her pad of paper. _'Let's get all the info down before jumping to conclusions, however farfetched they may be…'_

****FLASHBACK to One Month Ago****

Akina was preparing breakfast when she heard noise upstairs in a part of the house that was usually quiet these days. She smiled and threw a couple more servings into the miso soup she was making. It sounded like her daughter and her beau showed up last night or early this morning.

As if to confirm her thoughts, she suddenly heard her daughter's voice raised in frustration say, "Just go!" followed by a door slam.

A minute later Inuyasha entered her kitchen while he sniffed the air. She smiled at him and greeted him, "Good morning, Inuyasha. Breakfast will be ready soon if you and Kagome would like to join us."

"Keh," he replied as he sat down. Akina smiled again at the close-mouthed young man. She pulled the carton of eggs from the refrigerator and was surprised to hear Inuyasha speak again.

"Oi, could you skip the eggs this morning? The smell has been making Kagome sick recently."

"Oh really?" she asked him while giving him a scrutinizing look. But she did put the eggs back.

He began stuttering and blushing then while she was staring him down. Eventually he got out, "F-feh, the…the runt, yeah, the runt brought us some, uh, eggs! W-when we went to, uh, cook them, th-they had, um, half-grown, um, chicks inside. K-Kagome started bawling, and um, now we can't have eggs. The s-scent gives her memories or something…"

'_Well, that would probably disturb me too. I wonder if that's true though, there sure was a lot of stuttering and blushing going on.'_ She mentally shrugged. If that wasn't true, she would eventually find out what is really going on.

"Ok dear, I understand," she said and continued cooking breakfast. She glanced at Inuyasha occasionally as she was making breakfast and saw that when he didn't think she was looking he had a slight smile on his face and a far-off look in his eyes. _'Hmm, maybe those two finally admitted their feelings to each other.'_

Finally she was finished cooking, and she went ahead and served Inuyasha at the table before yelling up the stairs that breakfast was ready. Before too long, her entire family (along with a possible future addition) was seated around the table talking excitedly with each other. Before too much time had passed, she noticed that her daughter wasn't wearing her school uniform but a T-shirt and jeans.

"Kagome, are you going to school today?" Akina asked her daughter.

"Oh, um, not today, Mama. I was planning on resting today and maybe studying some and then going to school tomorrow," Kagome replied.

"Keh," Inuyasha put in his two-yen worth. Akina had also noticed that he had moved his chair right beside her daughter and that they were nearly touching as they sat at the table. Then there were the moments when he turned towards her and smiled gently before he caught himself and put his gruff mask back over his face and continued with breakfast.

"Ok dear," Akina agreed. Her daughter _did_ look a little worn out. That was probably to be expected when she was traveling all over ancient Japan and fighting who-knows-what in their quest.

Eventually breakfast was finished and everyone was sent their different ways for the day. Akina turned on the radio to have some music going while she started the cleanup.

She couldn't help but to look outside at her daughter. Earlier Kagome and Inuyasha decided to go outside and sit on the bench under the Goshinboku and enjoy the outdoors. It was sometimes hard to believe that Kagome was the same daughter that she used to have to literally chase out of the house to get her to get some fresh air. Now she spent most of her free time outside. But then Kagome is a totally different person than she was before she fell down the well. Her little baby has grown up so much in the last year or so.

There just happened to be a love song on the radio as she watched the couple outside. They were sitting close together talking with gentle smiles on each of their faces. Akina watched as Inuyasha brought a hand up to her daughter's cheek and slowly leaned down to kiss her.

Knowing she was by herself in the house, she pumped a fist in the air and exclaimed, "I _knew_ it!" She calmed down and continued to watch the two outside, remembering how her husband used to hold her.

The song on the radio ended and the announcer came on, "That was _Fall in Love_ by Lena Park. This next song is dedicated to my sneaky wench in celebration of our timeless love. You can osuwari me any day. I am forever your konnan inu. Hehehe, the pet names people come up with. Here is _Best Friends_ by Kana Nishino," the announcer stopped speaking as another love song started.

It took a minute for what the announcer said to register in Akina's mind. When it did she suddenly stood up straight and looked at the radio, then looked back outside at her daughter and Inuyasha as they were cuddling on the bench. She looked back at the radio that was currently playing music then looked outside again.

'_But…wha…huh?...' _

*****END FLASHBACK*****

Akina wrote down:

6) The radio dedication of _Best Friends_ to 'my sneaky wench.' Mentioned 'timeless love,' 'osuwari,' 'forever,' and 'Konnaninu.'

She smiled as she remembered the kiss she witnessed between her daughter and future son-in-law. More than likely if she hadn't saw them kiss, she wouldn't have been paying attention to the love songs on the radio and would have missed the dedication. This oddity would really only apply if her current theory was correct though…

First of all, who in this time period would call someone a wench? Inuyasha called Kagome a wench more than he used her given name it seemed like at times. Then again, who knew what those cosplayers got up to? 'Timeless love' and 'yours forever' are sweet sayings, but what if they are meant literally instead. That would give them a whole other meaning.

The kickers were 'osuwari' and 'Konnaninu.' She saw first-hand what happened when her daughter said 'osuwari.' And Akina heard her talking about it enough to know that they used it in sentences like, 'I osuwaried him,' or 'Don't osuwari me," etcetera. As far as she knew, that was unique to her daughter and Inuyasha. And then there was Konnaninu again… Which was the last name used when someone picked up her daughter from school.

Akina sat up and looked at her list. '_So, as far-fetched as it seems, apparently Kagome and Inuyasha, at some point, decided to live in the past and have somehow lived 500 years. Now they are out there somewhere and have signed my yearbook and sent me a thank you card… I think I need to go to sleep…'_ With that thought, she looked at the clock and saw that it was already after one in the morning. _'Maybe this is all sleep deprivation. It'll make more sense in the morning.'_ She then gathered up her notepad and headed to bed.

The next day Akina soon found herself alone with the breakfast dishes once again. Today was Sunday so there was no school and Souta was upstairs playing video games. Her father was busy tending the shrine and Akina had a choice of doing the dishes, or looking over the list she had put together the night before. A couple minutes later, Akina was sitting at the table with the list and her senior yearbook.

She flipped open the yearbook to the picture she found a few months ago of the couple that looked like Kagome and Inuyasha. Akina ran her fingers across the picture.

"Is that really you, my Kagome?" she whispered. The longer she looked at it, the more she was sure that it was her daughter. She then opened the book to the back cover and saw the mishmash of notes and signatures from people that she went to school with. She zeroed in on two notes in particular that she has been re-reading for months now. There was one that was a quarter of the way down the page and slightly to the right that said, "You are so nice and understanding to others! I just know that you will make a great mom! Watch out for those teen years, we know all about those, huh? Hahaha -Kagome Inukai-" That was followed by a winking smiley face. The next one she looked at was scrunched up towards the bottom of the page like it was hiding and simply said, "Keh. -Yoshi-"

Every other note on the page (and the other pages that were signed) said things like "Good Luck!" "Have Fun!" "Keep in Touch!" "I'll Miss You," or something like that. The note from Kagome Inukai was the only one that mentioned her becoming a mother. That was especially odd considering that Akina never really hung out with that Kagome. And "keh" was practically Inuyasha's catchphrase. Seriously, who else would write that as a final goodbye in a yearbook? Even if you don't know somebody, you at least write 'good luck' or something.

And that did it. That 'keh' in her yearbook that was written twenty years before she met the half-demon from the well, made something click in her mind. She was suddenly sure that her wild theory was correct. Somehow, her daughter and Inuyasha have lived 500 years and, as of twenty years ago, look exactly the same as they do now.

Kagome just left through the well the previous day, so she won't be back for at least a week. There shouldn't be any harm in attempting to contact her older daughter. Hoping that she is right, Akina picked up the notepad with the phone number for Taisho, I. & K. and walked over to the phone. Taking a breath to gather her courage, she dialed the local number. After two rings, the other end is picked up.

"Moshi, moshi," said a young girl's voice. A possible grandchild?

"Hello. Is Kagome there?" Akina asked.

"Who's calling?" the girl sounded slightly suspicious. But she didn't deny that a Kagome lived there. That's something…

"This is Akina Higurashi. I'm-" Before she could finish, the girl gasped and hung up the phone.

Akina pulled the receiver from her ear and looked at it. Curious, she called again. This time the phone just rang. It wasn't even picked up by an answering machine. Highly disappointed, she hung up the phone. Maybe she could try back later, like during school hours the next day…


	5. Chapter 5

Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters listed below. They all are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

I also do not own Scooby-Doo and am in no way affiliated with Hanna-Barbera Productions.

Chapter 5

Two days later, and Akina was no further along than she was earlier on her little mystery. She _did_ ask her father about the extra yen in the cookie jar, but he wasn't even aware she kept extra cash for Kagome lying around the house. The one other time she gathered her courage to call the phone number again, no one answered.

Today wasn't the day to worry about things though. Today was grocery day, and that was always a full day. She walked to the store and grabbed the items she came for plus a few packages of Ramen. She always liked to have some on hand so when Inuyasha came through the well he had his favorite food available.

After she made her purchase and was on the way home, she stopped at the bottom of the shrine steps. There was a missing pet flyer on a light pole near the stairs. She always had a soft spot for animals so she looked at the flyer to see if she could help.

A moment later, her groceries dropped to the ground and she tore the flyer from the pole. After holding the flyer in shaking hands for a minute, she hastily gathered her dropped bags and practically flew up the stairs to reach her phone.

**Earlier That Day**

Inuyasha smirked as the last flyer finished printing. So, it was a little degrading, but if he knew Kagome's mother, she would be calling as soon as she saw it. Feh, Kagome should know he wouldn't agree to a humiliation bet he wasn't going to win. He kinda wished that he could have made her agree to do something when he won, but he could probably weasel her into something later. He picked up a flyer to give it a final proofreading before leaving home and posting them near the Higurashi Shrine.

It read: "Missing! Have you seen my dog? He has white hair and the cutest ears. He usually wears a beaded collar. He answers to the name 'Inuyasha' or 'You Jerk' and flinches at the word 'osuwari.' He loves Ramen and is irritable in the presence of strangers. Last seen with me at a dry well. Please call Kagome with information at (phone number) or (phone number)."

Satisfied with the results, he put the flyers in a folder to hide them from his mate. It wouldn't do to let her in on his little plan. He shut down his computer then walked into the living room where his mate was currently home-schooling their youngest daughter. This was the last year for home-schooling. Next year they were going to start sending her to school since they believed she could convincingly conceal her hanyou strength.

"Morning, Mate. Morning, Runt," he grunted out. Kagome gave him a brilliant smile that always melted his insides. The purple crests adorning her cheeks caught the light and enhanced her natural beauty.

"Morning, Lover," she purred. Before he could say something back, his daughter's dog ears flicked in irritation and she started making gagging sounds.

"Ack! Come on you two, there is a young child present. At least send me to my room first," Manami complained.

"Oi, we're just talking, Runt," he replied while ruffling her white hair in the way that she hated. She glared at him and he smirked. "Get your charm, Mana. You can come with me." Manami instantly brightened and ran to her room.

"Oh, and where are you going?" Kagome asked.

"We are going to set my little plan in action. You got your cell phone ready? Your mom is gonna call."

Instantly, Kagome became nervous, "S-she is? Are you sure? What are you going to do?"

"Nuh-uh," he said while shaking his finger. "You were going to trust me, remember?"

Kagome smirked then, "I remember. I also think I need to get out the Scooby Doo DVDs for future acting lessons."

"Keh, if you want. But there is no way I'm going to lose this and have to talk like that fucking cartoon dog."

"Language!" she snapped. She always had funny ideas about not cursing in front of the children. He could understand when they were really young and repeated things without knowing, but Manami was old enough to know better.

"Feh!"

"Daddy, I'm ready!" his human-appearing daughter called as she entered the room. She had her long black hair tied back and was wearing loose clothes. She was apparently anticipating his 'secret hanyou lessons.'

Inuyasha smirked in approval, "Come on, pup," he called as he headed for the door and grabbed his own image charm. Once he put it on, his dog ears disappeared and human ears took their place, his shoulder-length white hair turned black, the purple markings on his cheeks disappeared, and he looked older than his normal youthful appearance.

"You two be careful," he heard as they exited the penthouse suite.

"Keh," he replied as he shut the door. Once he was sure he was out of his mate's hearing range he asked, "You ready, pup?" Manami just nodded her head excitedly.

"Ok, nothing too strenuous today. Just running, jumping and some stealth. We'll keep to the rooftops. Humans never look up unless they hear a strange noise. So no grunting, groaning, skidding, or falling. Got it? Oh, and lose the shoes, pup. Remember, nothing compares to the grip of your own footpads, and they give you better control. And what is Hanyou Rule Number One?"

"Always be in control," his daughter repeated diligently as she was removing her flip-flops. Looks like she had already planned on going barefoot. Good girl.

When they got to the elevator, they went up to the roof instead of down to the lobby. One of the nice things about owning the building was he could restrict the roof access to just his family. He would never tell the bastard, but he was glad that Sesshomaru had talked him into buying the place. He claimed the top three floors for his family and the rest were luxury apartments.

As they walked out onto the roof, Inuyasha turned towards his daughter, "Keep up. If I can make it, you can make it. Hesitation can get you hurt. Remember that." She gave a curt nod, and with that, he took off towards the Higurashi Shrine.

Inuyasha set a pace that was slightly faster than what his daughter could keep up with and made sure that all the leaps he made she would be able to make too. Her legs were shorter than his after all and this was still training. They just about flew across the Tokyo rooftops as they made their way towards the shrine. Eventually, the rooftops got shorter and farther apart. When the gaps got too large, Inuyasha landed in an alley and waited for Manami to catch up. Fifteen seconds later she landed in a crouch right beside him. Her face was red with exertion and she was trying to catch her breath but she kept up with the pace he set and never fell or faltered once.

He gave her a genuine smile and ruffed her hair, "Good job, Mana. I think you're doing better than Shuuinu did at your age."

She looked at him and smiled (a pure Kagome smile) at the praise of being better than her older brother. Although he was forty years her senior, he was the closest sibling she had in age to her. Even if _he_ didn't participate in sibling rivalry, _she_ was determined to out-do him at whatever she could.

Once she caught her breath and didn't look quite so red in the face, Inuyasha led her out of the alley and along the sidewalk in the direction of the shrine. They were walking together when Inuyasha caught a hauntingly familiar scent. He zeroed in on it and almost stumbled then stopped when he realized who it was that was heading in their direction while on some errand. It was Kagome's mom.

"Oi, Mana," he whispered where only his demonic daughter could hear, "That's your grandmother heading our way."

She perked up and began sniffing furiously in Mrs. Higurashi's direction to catch her scent. "Oi, downplay the scenting. You're pretending to be human, remember?" he quietly chastised his daughter. She nodded and produced a tissue from her pocket and brought it near her face while still sniffing. Clever girl! Pretending to have allergies with a tissue as a prop!

Inuyasha watched Kagome's mom walk towards them and all his memories of her from 500 years ago came rushing back. He suddenly decided to stick with phase one of the plan, but phase two could use some revisions.

After Kagome's mom passed them, he grabbed his daughter's hand and gruffly said, "Come on," as he started pulling her down the street. When they got to the shrine steps, Inuyasha began putting up his flyers. He angled most of them in the direction he knew Kagome's mom would be returning from. These were for her after all. When he had pinned up all but one, he lead his daughter up the steps. They may as well visit the shrine while they waited for Kagome's mom to come home. They looked human after all and he knew Kagome's Ji-chan wasn't spiritually powerful enough to see through the illusion charms.

While on the grounds, he showed his daughter the well-house and the Goshinboku. He even pointed out the bare piece of bark where he had been sealed to that particular tree. They sat down on a hidden bench and talked.

"I can smell you and Mama," Manami broke into one of Inuyasha's stories. "It smells like she's breeding."

Inuyasha smiled, "Yeah, 500 years ago when we left here a few days ago, your Mama was pupped with her first litter."

"Really? So she was pupped with Inutaro, Inutomoki and Inutama?"

"Yup. Although at the time we just thought she carried one pup. It wasn't until I could hear the heartbeats a month or so later that we knew she was carrying three." He snickered then, "Boy, did _that_ get her panties in a twist! It's too bad we had just defeated Naraku the week or two before that. Just one of your mother's death glares could have done him in, tainted sacred jewel or not."

Both or their heads perked up and cocked slightly as they heard someone running up the shrine stairs. A moment later they saw Mrs. Higurashi running to the house while juggling some grocery bags.

"Oi, let's go. You remember your lines? We'll wait until she hangs up, ok?" His daughter gave him a curt nod and then one of his signature smirks. He couldn't help but smirk back.

Kagome hummed happily since she had the house to herself. Inuyasha had taken Manami out for training and mischief and Shuuinu was at work at the local WacDonald's. She often wondered if he ever served her younger self, but he wouldn't tell her one way or the other. He just claimed that all the customers blended together unless they made a pain of themselves. He was going to spend another year working there and then Kagome thought he may be ready for college after that. One of the bad things about raising hanyou children was that they take _forever_ to mature.

Inuyasha and she had to get creative with their youngest children's schooling. After Shuu graduated high school they decided to make him take a series of 'just after high school' jobs. That series of dead-end jobs has lasted about 30 years now. He was just now beginning to act equivalent to a human sixteen year old. While still a little young, she didn't think college would overwhelm him now. She would talk to Inuyasha about it later.

Kagome settled on the couch to watch a girly movie in peace when her cell phone rang. '_Inuyasha's plans never work out this well. I bet it's him calling.'_ She thought as she reached for her phone. When she saw the incoming phone number, it was familiar, but wasn't programmed on her phone.

She answered, "Moshi, moshi."

"Kagome?" asked a familiar female voice on the other side of the line.

"M-Mama?" she squeaked out as her mind went blank.

"I thought it was you, sweetie. Now I have a few questions for you. Didn't I just see you go through the well a few days ago?"

"Mama?" Kagome repeated, still not believing her ears.

"I see… shock, huh?" muttered the voice in the earpiece. "Ok, well how's this?" The voice suddenly became a lot sterner, "Young lady, you come home right this instant."

That command kicked in Kagome's finely-honed defense mechanism of arguing back, "Now wait just a minute," she exclaimed before she caught herself. "Oh, uh…sorry Mama."

Her mother chuckled and replied, "It's ok dear, I was trying to snap you out of it. But do be a dear and answer this. Are you my 16 year old daughter, or my 516 year old daughter?"

"Figured it out, huh?"

"I figured it out a couple days ago and even called I. & K. Taisho thinking that was you. Is it? A girl answered and then hung up when I gave my name."

"Um, yeah, that's us. How did you figure _that_ one out?" Kagome asked, confused. She didn't think any of the clues they left could link them to their real names.

"Come on over and I'll reveal my secrets. We should have time, I don't expect my 16 year old daughter back from the well for about a week at least."

"Umm, " Kagome replied a little guiltily, "ok and I guess we can reveal some of our secrets too. I'll call Inuyasha and meet you at the shrine. It'll be wonderful to see you again, Mama!"

"I'm sure it will be dear. See you in a little while."

Kagome hung up and stared at the phone. He did it. Whatever little scheme her mate had come up with had worked with amazing success. But then, apparently, she had already figured it out from the clues they both left and had already called here. Mana must have answered and panicked.

Kagome dialed Inuyasha's cell phone and he answered on the first ring.

"Hey Bitch," he answered. "Told ya," he continued.

"Hey wait! How did you know what I was gonna say?"

"Keh. We're at the shrine. You coming?"

She growled at him (after 500 years, she had picked up a few canine habits) then spat out, "You jerk."

"And I'm all yours," he replied with that smug voice of his. "We'll be here," then he hung up on her.

Kagome growled at the phone again. On the way out the door, she grabbed her keys and her image charm that made her appear older and hid her mating and bonding marks.

Inuyasha smirked as he put up his cell phone. His daughter was just shaking her head, "Daddy, why do you have to make Mom made like that."

"Feh, she likes it," he shrugged. He didn't mention that he also thought his mate was gorgeous when she was steaming mad. That was a secret he had kept for 500 years, and he wasn't about to let it slip now.

"Keh, here's the flyer. Go knock on the door." Manami nodded and took the missing pet flyer from him and headed to the front door with Inuyasha following close behind.

Akina was straightening up the house knowing that her daughter was coming over soon. Before she even really got started there was a knock on the front door. It hadn't been near enough time for Kagome to make it over yet. Assuming she was at home when Akina talked to her earlier…

She opened the door and saw a young girl of about seven or eight standing there with a man behind her, probably her father. Oddly, they were both barefooted. Since the girl knocked, Akina gave the girl her attention.

"Yes, dear?" she asked.

The girl smiled brilliantly, then seemed to school her face into a slightly worried expression. "Hi," she started and handed Akina the flyer, "I'm trying to help my mom find her missing dog," the girls lips twitched on the last word like she was trying to keep from laughing. "Can you help me?" she finished.

Akina looked down at the paper the girl handed her and saw that it was the exact same one that had her rushing up the stairs to call her daughter. Her eyes widened as she looked at the paper, then raised them to look at the girl standing in front of her.

"Your mom…" she trailed off as she really looked at the man standing behind the little girl. He looked older, and human, but still very familiar, "Inuyasha?"

"Keh," the man agreed with a nod.

Akina gasped. Then said, "Come in, come in! I just spoke with Kagome and she's on the way also. Are you two married now? And kids, do I have grandchildren? Is she one? Hello, sweetie! What's your name? How are you here after all this time? And where are your adorable ears? Do you have your dad's ears sweetheart? Would you like some tea? Or Ramen? How about you, sweetie? You want some Ramen? Or I think I have some pocky stashed away." Akina's attention had flicked between the two and she finally ran out of breath. '_At least my children came by their excitable natures honestly_,' Akina thought as if she was an outside observer.

Before she could start on a second round of questions, the man claiming to be Inuyasha raised his hands and chuckled, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down or you'll hyperventilate before Kagome even gets here."

She smiled at the two, "Of course. But still come on in." She moved out of the doorway and allowed them to enter. To her surprise, when Inuyasha got even with her, he gave her a hug. In reflex, her arms came around him too.

She heard him take a deep breath through his nose then say, "You have no idea how much we've missed you," as he gave her a little squeeze. And that simple statement from the gruff young man in her arms just about brought a tear to her eye.

He pulled away and gave her a smile she had never seen on his face before, "Now some answers," he said with a playful glint in his eye she had also never seen, "Yes. Yes. Yes. Her name is Manami. I didn't die. Hidden. Yes. Tea and Ramen sound fine. She does, and she can have pocky later if she wants."

Akina laughed. "Well, I guess it's my own fault I didn't understand the answers huh? Let's go in the kitchen and have some Ramen. What flavor do you like best, Manami?" she asked. At least she picked up those couple of points.

The little girl replied softly with a light blush, "I like all of them, Ba-chan."

Remembering who her father was, Akina replied, "Of course you do, dear." All the while thinking, '_She called me Ba-chan. I'm a grandmother!'_

She sat the two down in her kitchen and put three kettles of water on to boil. As the water was heating up, she turned to the two and said, "Ok, no hiding demonic characteristics in the house. Whatever you're doing stop it and let me see those ears."

Manami looked nervous, but Inuyasha just shrugged and with a "Keh," he removed a necklace from around his neck. Her granddaughter followed Inuyasha's example and removed a similar necklace. Once the necklaces were removed, both of Akina's dark-haired guests were suddenly sitting there with white hair, dog ears, fangs and claws. Inuyasha looked years younger and had the purple marks on his cheeks that she had gotten used to seeing.

"That's better," she told them, "Inuyasha, you haven't aged a bit… And aren't you the most gorgeous thing!" she cooed over her granddaughter. Manami got a sour look on her face that would surely do Inuyasha proud. Apparently her granddaughter wasn't a girly-girl. She suddenly wondered if any of Inuyasha's children _were_ girly-girls and the thought of him trying to raise them made her smile. She fixed them their Ramen then got down to the question and answer session.

"So, Inuyasha… How many grandchildren do I have? And when can I meet them?"

"Uh, twenty-six. Right, Mana?"

"No, Dad," she said in an exasperated tone, "I'm number twenty-seven."

"Oh, right. Twenty-seven," he agreed. "And, um, we were thinking of getting everyone together in a month or two so you can meet them."

"Twenty-seven!" Akina exclaimed.

"Keh, it _was_ over a 500 year period," he pointed out.

Akina smiled, "Yes, that _will_ take some time to get used to the idea." She shook her head and laughed, "I must be the only person in the world with a daughter older than me."

The water was ready then and she made them both a cup of tea and a bowl of Ramen. She served Inuyasha and then Manami. After Akina put down their snack, her hand sort of hovered over her granddaughter's head and her super-cute ears. Remembering how Inuyasha was about _his_ ears made her slightly hesitant to touch his daughter's though.

She looked up and caught Inuyasha watching her. This time, she was the one to blush as she got caught. He smirked at her, then gave her a shallow nod and a wink. Grinning, Akina lowered her hand and rubber her granddaughter's ears. Manami jumped a little when Akina first touched her ears, but then went back to eating her Ramen without saying anything. Her head slowly tilted to better meet Akina's hand. Soon, Akina heard a low-pitched growling sound. It sounded like a puppy's playful growl more than a threatening sound. She looked at Inuyasha and saw him with a slight smirk on his face. She smiled back and decided to leave her granddaughter's ears alone for a while. There were still questions to ask after all.

She took a seat in an empty chair and took a sip of her tea. "So, Inuyasha," she began, "I guess you can't really tell me about what's happening to you two on the other side of the well right now since it may affect my future, but can I get some highlights? Did you choose to stay on the other side, or did the well close? I know Kagome is always worried about getting trapped on one side or the other."

Inuyasha put down his chopsticks and answered, "Well, I think we'll tell you more details when Kagome gets here, but the well did close on us. Kagome took it pretty hard because at the time we didn't know if she would live this long to see you again, and there were a couple things she was going to tell you 'later.' Then 'later' wasn't possible anymore…" Inuyasha trailed off into thought. "We should wait for Kagome before we get into any more of that though."

Akina nodded. "OK, next question. Is this really you two?" she asked as she slid her open yearbook towards him. He looked down at the picture and laughed.

"Yeah, that's us. It was about time we went to school again and Kagome wanted to keep an eye on ya. Of course, you gave her the idea way back when you showed her this picture in the first place. She even joined the yearbook staff to make sure that picture made it into the book. I keep telling her that things will work out the way they're supposed to, but she thinks she needs to keep her hands in everything."

Manami looked up, "That's not what you said a few months ago when you and Mom came to make sure you two were Mated."

Before Akina could even register what Manami said, Inuyasha gave a frightening growl. That was followed immediately by Manami letting out a puppyish yip and then a whine all while looking down and away from her father. Inuyasha then gave a "Feh!" and looked away momentarily. Akina just blinked. If she hadn't been watching, she would have missed the entire thing.

He looked back at Akina and flushed slightly, "Keh, sorry about that. Pup don't know when to keep her trap shut." He turned his attention back to his daughter, "Mana, your Ba-chan don't need to know when me and your mom rut."

Manami nodded and softly said, "Yes sir. Sorry Daddy."

Akina couldn't help but to help her granddaughter out and tease her son-in-law at the same time, "Well, I'm sure you two must have rutted at least 27 times, huh, Inuyasha? And if Kagome takes after me at all, that would have been during the first month."

"K..keh!" Inuyasha stuttered out with a bright blush on his cheeks. Akina smiled. She would _have_ to come up with a 'Get Inuyasha to Blush' game. It was just too much fun! Maybe she could incorporate score cards somehow…

Before Akina could ask another question (or see if Inuyasha could turn a darker shade of red), the doorbell rang. She jumped up and ran to the door expecting it to be her older daughter. Sure enough, when Akina opened the door her daughter was standing there looking slightly nervous. She looked the same as when she jumped down the well a few days ago except for some purple stripes on her cheeks that matched the ones on Inuyasha. After a good ten seconds of staring, Akina found herself with an armful of crying daughter with the word, "Mama," being repeated over and over again.

Several minutes later found the four of them around the kitchen table once again. Kagome had finally let go of Akina, but was still smiling keeping her in her sight.

Akina smiled and looked at her expanded family, "Alright you two. Care to tell me why you waited to get in touch with me until now? Surely you could have contacted me whenever you're on the other side of the well before now."

Kagome shifted slightly and Inuyasha looked away. Kagome spoke up, "Well, Mama, we decided to wait until the well closed before we contacted you. That way there is less chance of messing up the time-line."

Akina nodded, "But I figured it out early and you're here now, right?"

Tears suddenly sprang to Kagome's eyes, "No, Mama. Th…the well is closed. We'll never travel through it again. When you sent us off a few days ago was our last trip." Kagome broke down into tears again and Inuyasha put his arm around her and pulled her into his shoulder.

Akina just stared at them. She would never see her young daughter and her insecure boyfriend emerge from the well again. At least she had her older daughter and her husband here with her and they didn't let her sit here for months without knowing what had happened. But Kagome was pregnant when she last went through the well. Wouldn't she need her mother for her first pregnancy? Apparently not…

"Mama?" Kagome continued after she had calmed down and dried her eyes.

"Yes dear?"

"There were a couple things I was going to tell you back then, but the well sealed and I never got a chance. First, Inuyasha and I had Mated. That's kind of like a youkai marriage ceremony. I was young and didn't think you would approve of me being so young and married already. And I was also pregnant. I was going to tell you the next time I came back because it was getting harder to hide, but I never did make it back."

"Oh, well I knew that," Akina replied without thinking.

"You…you knew?! How?" Kagome asked while looking shocked.

"Hmm? Oh, well I knew about the pregnant part, not about the youkai marriage. Inuyasha, you didn't tell her that I knew?"

Akina saw Kagome shoot Inuyasha a glare and he just snorted, "Feh! Don't give me that, wench! You were the one that wanted to hide it from her and was upset about the whole thing. Then after the well closed, any mention of your family drove you to hysterics. By the time you calmed down about the whole thing, it was a moot point."

Kagome stood up abruptly, "I've been carrying around that guilt for 500 years, Inuyasha! And she already knew part of it!"

Inuyasha also stood up to look Kagome in the eye, "That's what you get for bottling stuff up inside. That's what you're always telling me, ain't it? How was I supposed to know that was eating at cha if you don't bring it up!? You should know I'm not a fucking mind reader!"

Akina decided to break in before things got even more heated. In a very dry tone of voice she said, "My, you would think that after 500 years and 27 children that you two would have grown up some…"

Just as she suspected it would the couple in front of her became quiet, blushed and looked away.

She noticed that Kagome smiled then and brought a hand to her abdomen, "Well," Kagome said softly, "twenty-seven and counting…"

Akina just blinked as what her daughter said sunk in. Inuyasha threw his arms around Kagome and gave her a passionate kiss and she wrapped her arms about him too. Manami just sighed with a disgusted look on her face and looked away.

Akina took a drink of her tea and smiled broadly at her daughter. Things were never quiet around the Higurashi family and with Inuyasha and 500 years of mischief thrown in the mix, things would never be quiet at the family shrine. And Akina had a whole lot of grandmothering to catch up on!


End file.
